As someone with naturally straight hair, I never found it necessary to use a flat iron—that is, until I met the GHD Unplugged Flat Iron. I used to associate the styling tool with my curly-haired friends in high school, who would sit for hours in front of the mirror, painstakingly straightening their hair, and employing my help for the hard-to-reach sections at the back. As an impressionable high-schooler, I tried straightening my hair before a sweet sixteen party and was left with limp, paper straight strands with no body or movement—not to mention the pungent smell of burning hair. Needless to say, I swore off straighteners from that moment on.
Fast forward ten years, and I’m the senior beauty editor at Glamour, where I’m lucky enough to test the latest and greatest hair tools. From curling wands to hair dryers, I’m always game to try new tools—except when it comes to flat irons. So when our 2022 Beauty Awards came around, and I was tasked with testing flat irons in the straight hair category, I was a bit wary.
But a lot has changed since high school—technology has developed, plus I now know the basic rules of hot tools (the most obvious: don’t fry your hair!). Armed with heat protectant spray, I reached for the GHD Unplugged and immediately became a convert.
I thought I didn’t need a flat iron, but it turns out, I definitely do, and the GHD is perfect for styling straight hair. It comes in a compact, travel-friendly design made for tossing in a gym bag or suitcase, but has all the power of a regular-sized GHD flat iron. The biggest selling point is the cordless feature—the first of its kind for the brand—which allows you to style around your head quickly with ease. The long-lasting co-lithium battery charges in just two hours and offers up to 20 minutes of continuous use.
For all my curly-haired friends who want straight, sleek hair—this is probably not the iron for you. GHD makes it clear that this iron is made for touch-ups and on-the-go styling, and although the compact size lends itself well to travel, the smaller ceramic plates won’t fare well against thick curly hair. For people with naturally straight hair who want to amp up a glass hair look or refresh some limp curls, it’s the perfect way to style without overpowering your straight strands. It smooths out hair, without leaving them too straight or frying ends, thanks to the safer-for-hair 365°F temperature.
At first, I was off-put by the battery life—just 20 minutes of continuous use? But I realized that the allotted 20 minutes actually kept me from spending too much time styling and in a way protected me from heat damage. It can be so tempting to straighten the same section over and over again—but all it takes is one pass for my hair to look shiny, straight, and most important, healthy with the GHD Unplugged.
